Making travel dreams come true is no small step, especially when touring in Africa brings up a lot of questions.
Entering into wild, gorgeous regions may seem daunting at first. However, there are plenty of ways to travel affordably without sacrificing your preferred level of comfort. Learning how to travel in style while still having a satisfying experience comes with knowledge gained from years of travel, insider tips and suggestions you may never have considered an option before.
Here at Nomad Africa, we have 28 years of experience specialising in authentic African travels that balance cost and value while making sure your experience is everything you wished for and more. Any question that could be asked, we’re sure we’ve answered. We’re here to show you the tricks to finding your perfect option and what to look out for when choosing any travel style and price point.
Factor in a Meal Budget
An often overlooked aspect of any travel style, from small group to boutique, is included meals in the itinerary. Dinners and lunches in a foreign country’s restaurant can be exciting, especially if you’ve never tasted the cuisine types before. However, cost wise? These can add up quickly, especially if you don’t know the best local restaurants or have a knowledgeable guide. Food allergies and intolerances can even make this experience stressful and unpleasant.
If you’re looking for lower costs, search for itineraries or companies that include many of their meals. At Nomad, many of our Classic tours and Comfort options aim to include as many delicious, filling meals as possible so that our travellers never go hungry or have to factor in large extra costs – plus our guide’s food is excellent! We also cater to dietary restrictions to lessen the stress of a journey that is meant to be remembered for highlights and views – not wondering if a meal is going to result in an EpiPen injection or sore stomach.
Choosing to Travel with a Small Group
Affordable, safer, fun and even insightful, small group tours are a staple in the travel industry for a reason. From making brand new life-long friends to discovering more about the countries others live in, it is a beautiful way to experience an extra layer of culture exchange while actively learning and enjoying an authentic African tour.
Aside from the social side of things, small group travel is known for its lower rates alongside its higher value and safety. If you are seeking a more private travel option, there are ways in which you can travel affordably…
Picking a Self-Drive over Guided Drives
Returning to travel styles, there are ways of lowering cost on private travels. One of the simplest ways is to opt for a self drive experience rather than a private guided one. While someone has to drive and learn the local laws of the road, other than a lower cost, self-drives offer the opportunity to explore a route at your own pace. Take detours, make impromptu stops at roadside attractions and see places that you would otherwise miss on an entirely guided tour. It makes for fantastic family and friend road trip experience with the promise of amazing lodging at the end of a day on the road.
Driving Instead of Flying
Flying from destination to destination may seem like a viable, comfortable option and cost-effective compared to driving, but is it truly? Choosing to tour several countries or areas by overlanding not only saves you money but doesn’t cut out many of the interesting places and activities that aren’t close to an airport.
Considering that African countries do not have all that many airports outside main cities, you could be missing amazing locations and game reserves in the more remote regions. Even so, access to unique areas alongside iconic national parks and highlights would likely require drives that backtrack, which can increase the cost and be less environmentally friendly.
If you are considering travels in Africa, but concerned about comfort, we highly recommend looking at small group tours with a 12-person capacity. This reduced maximum capacity operates on more compact vehicles and offer an option that balances cost and comfort – addressing many concerns travellers have when they look at flying. Plus, you get to enjoy views all along the way!
Taking Advantage of Free Optionals
If you are looking to get as much value for money as possible, ask about free optionals on your chosen route. Along our Cape Town to Victoria Falls tour, we have bush walks and a canoe outing that require only an earlier wake-up to enjoy. It seems like an obvious point, however, many travellers may end up missing these if they do not read their detailed dossiers before going on tour. Be sure to make a note of these when you are booking a tour!
